Building construction



April 1, 1941- H. E. RAYMOND BUILDING CONSTRUCTION I -Filed Jan. 8. 1936Snventor 4 Gttorneg-Q.

Apr. 1, 194,511@l UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFlcE BUILDING coNs'rnuc'noNHarold Earl Raymond, New Orleans, La. 4Application January s. im, seraiNo. sans (ci. s-1) lClalm.

My present invention relates to improvements in the construction ofbuildings, especially adapted for use where severe weather stresses areexperienced, or where it is desirable to provide a roof of comparativelysmall exposed area to these stresses.

This invention is specifically intended to provide an extremely light,and most scientific construction which should be readily andeconomically erected. v

This invention further is intended to provide a means of construction,in which there is an'arch roof of curvature based on scientific contour,which arch may be of sumcient length to cover a wide Yiiuor area withoutthe necessity of intermediate supports.

This invention is more particularly intended to provide a lightconstruction, having the arches, the axis of which, are formed on one ormore parabolic curves designed to take the direct thrust of the load aswell as any moment of eccentricity.

This invention is intended to cover a construc-` tion oi' parabolic archconstruction of flange members proportioned according to theireccentricity fromthe line of force, maintaining the same cross sectionalarea. with shear taken care of by diagonal members of tubular orstructural shapes.

'I'his invention is especially intended to provide an arch structurewhich may be restrained at its springing by either wall or buttressresistance or fixed columns restraint.

This invention will be more fully understood by reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which like parts indicated by similar referencenililiimlalrals throughout the several views and in w c Figure 1 isafront elevational view of the imf pro'ved construction with parts ofthe overhead .footing shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the parts shown inFigure 3.

Figure 5 -is a top plan view of the parts shown footing with parts ofthe arch structure brokenI away. L.

Referring more particularly to the drawing the numeral A designates aconcrete footing poured in the usual way to provide a resisting force ofthe direct thrust as well as to support the live and dead loadto becarried. As shown in the various figures oi the drawing, the column ismade continuous by embedment in a pocket in the footings.

The-arches F as particularly shown in Figure l are formed of continuousmembers of equal sectional areas (or segments welded together wherepractical construction requires). The end portions ofthese arches arerestrained by the columns C anchored as above described.

In order to provide the necessary strength for various loadings withequal ilanges of a parabolic arch design the eilective depth of thearches is increased accordingly as the stresses increase and vice versa.In the type of construction where contour lines are required byarchitectural features, false work B may be provided to conform to theserequirements.

While primarily the object of this'invention is to use weldedconnections, for practical purposes of erection or shipping, it may bedesired to use riveted, bolted or welded (electric, oxy-acetylene 'orthermite) connections D to join pre-fabricated members.

'I'he invention further embraces the use oiv clip angles E for purlinswhich are similar to those used for ilsh plates in railroadconstruction, but of a design to effect continuity of the purlins withbolted or riveted construction.

As shown in Figure 5 the footing is of T shape and the column C ispartly embedded in the head portion of the footing with its greater partembedded in the shank portion of the footing. This particularconstruction and mounting of the columngives the desired resistance tovertical and horizontal thrust in opposite directions and supports thearch and roof against vertical load as against horizontal wind load.

From the fundamental nature of an arch, the dead load it carries tendsto produce a deflection downward in the center of the span and anoutward thrust at the base of the columns and footings. The presentinvention resists this thrust of the footing by providing a wide andfiat area of bearing in the footing to act against the vertical surfaceof the adjacent soil. This area is proportioned to the amount ofhorizontal thrust of the arch, as the thrust of the arch originates atthe springing of the arch (top of column) and is resisted at the groundlevel, its tendency to overturn the columnisresisted by thebearing ofthefooting on both sides below grade. and the embedment of the column inthe pocket of the footing makes both act as one,

In building construction it is necessary to contend with the horizontalwind pressure o`n the roof. Mechanics show that this causes an outwardthrust on one side of the building and an inward thrust on the oppositeside. 'I'he footing of the present invention acts equally well in bothdirections as well as against turning (moment). as the bearing againstthe soil is the same on both sides and the column is embedded in apocket in the footing.

It is obvious that various changes and modliications may be made in thedetails of construction and design of the above specifically describedembodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof,such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of thefollowing claim,

I claim:

In building construction, an arch support. comprising a footing ofconcrete or the like substantially T shape in "horisontal cross sectionadapted to be embedded in the ground with its head portion transverse tothe axis of the arch and with its shank portion extending inwardly alongthe axis of the arch, said head portion providing flat wings withopposite flat surfaces for resisting outward and inward thrusttransmitted through the arch. and a vertical column adapted forpositioning beneath the side of the arch at substantially the point ofspringing of the arch and having its lower end embedded in the footingthroughout substantially the depth of the footing and with the columndisposed coaxially of the arch and shank portion of the footing andpartly in the head portion thereof.

HAROLD EARL RAYMOND.

